3 Solutions to Common Problems Children Face in Boarding School

A child’s teenage years abound with important educational and developmental milestones. Between a student’s first and final years of high school, they grow from eager young learners to confident leaders before their parents’ and teachers’ eyes.

If you’re considering enrolling your child in a boarding high school, you can trust that the right boarding environment will offer them excellent opportunities for growth both within and beyond the classroom. They’ll face age-appropriate challenges and adapt to new responsibilities, making their eventual transition to university and adulthood that much smoother.

With these changes can come challenges. As you prepare for this transitional time, here are three solutions to common problems boarding students face:

1. Handling Homesickness in Their Early Days at Boarding School

Going off to boarding school is what professionals at the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) call a “planned separation” between parents and children. When children have never experienced extended time away from home, IEA experts say homesickness is to be expected. So how do boarders make it through the initial pangs of homesickness?

Bonnie Raskin of the IEA advises parents to offer their children sympathetic encouragement, and to trust in the faculty and administration who are trained to support homesick students. Be available for your child to call or email, and focus on the positive aspects of their experiences.

“Reassure your child that those feelings of missing familiar surroundings, family and friends are perfectly normal,” adds Raskin, “and it won’t be long before you call at the appointed time and your child tells you he or she only has a minute before the so-and-so club meets.”

LCS boarding school students at a ski retreat Skype family members back home

2. Easing Academic Stresses at the Best Boarding School in Canada

As a top boarding school in Canada, Lakefield College School (LCS) is proud of our high academic standards. For our students, learning is a full-time job. But at the heart of our school’s mandate is the promise to educate the “whole person,” prioritizing each student’s social, emotional, physical, and spiritual health along with their intellectual potential.

A flexible learning environment with a close student-to-teacher ratio ensures that each learner gets the support they need. Teachers’ doors are always open to students wanting to chat, and adaptive technology is offered to students seeking learning support at any time.

At LCS, as student workloads and responsibilities increase, so do their privileges and concessions. For example, Grade 11 students with Senior Status are permitted one sleep-in per month, with graduating Grade 12s allowed one sleep-in per week. Along with the abovementioned support, having this extra time to rest or to enjoy some time alone can be truly meaningful on days when approaching deadlines and exams may otherwise strain a student’s energy.

In boarding school, students learn the importance of taking pride in one’s space and looking after one’s belongings, what Raskin calls a “very important life skill.”

Boarding school students are encouraged to manage and handle their own possessions, including money. LCS students usually have their own bank accounts and are encouraged to stick to a maximum allowance of $40 per week.

LCS students learn that great roommate relationships come from keeping dorms organized

A student’s clothing also becomes their responsibility when they study at LCS, so it’s up to them to keep it laundered and looking up to school standards. This fosters independence under the supervision of our many tiers of responsible adult faculty (who are also trusted to handle students’ medications, valuables, and larger sums of money).

With the right supports in place, boarding school can help your child learn valuable life lessons and overcome both personal and academic challenges – guiding them toward healthy and successful young adulthood.